Automatic coupling.



P. HANSMANN.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. m1.

Patented Apr; 1, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET P. HANSMANN.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING. KPPLICATION r1150 APR. 23. 1911.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

72 Aifarizey.

P. HANSMANN.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23.1917.

[7? we 1/ f0 7', Pa'uZ 11 0/25/12 a/zn Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

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PAUL HANSMANN, OF LONG PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed April 23, 1917. Serial No. 163,892.

'0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, PAUL HANSMANN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Long Prairie, inthe county of Todd andState of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Oouplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements 1n draft connections for couplingone vehicle behind another, as binders, wherein the succeeding vehiclesare held 1n relatlvely ofi'set positions. The object of my inventlon isparticularly to provide a coupling connec tion which will automaticallycontrol the travel of one vehicle from the next forwarc' vehicle andparticularly cause each succeed ing vehicle to turn a square corner.

To this end my invention consists in thconstruction,combination andarrangemen' of parts hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved coupling mechanism in use as abinder connection;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an extension member forming part of theinvention;

Fig. 3 is a section taken alongside of a supporting roller, or caster,forming part of the invention;

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating a plurality of binderframes connected together by my invention, showing by full lines, dottedlines and by dash lines the different positions of connected binderframes;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of two binder frames connected by myinvention illustrating their position in turning a corner;

Fig. 7 is a similar view after the corner is turned, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the positions the binderswill assume on turning a corner without the use of my features ofimprovement.

Referring to the drawin s A represents a frame mounted upon suita )lewheels 2. In carrying out my invention I provide the following means forconnecting together a plurality of the frames: Secured to one side ofthe forward frame portion 3 of the binder are brackets 4: and 5constituting swivel supports for the cross bar 6 of the couplingmechanism hereinafter described.

A draw bar B is secured to the front of the binder in line with thebracket 5 and extends diagonally to the rear 7 of the binder to wh1ch itis secured as by staple 8. The rear end of the draw bar B extends beyondthe binder frame to form a bracket projectin rearwardly from the binderframe.

aving swivel support upon the rear ends of the draw bar and the bracket7 is an ex tenslon frame C constructed as shown in the drawings in theform of a pair of rods 9 and 10 connected to ether at their rear ends bya bracket 11 to form a V-shaped frame, the front ends of the rods beingbent to pass through openings 12 in the rear end of the draw bar and thebracket '2' to form a swivel support for the frame C. The frameconstituted by the rods 9 and 10 is so proportioned as to bring the rearor bracket end 11 of the frame in a. position substantially in line withthe center of the binder frame and at some distance at the rear thereof,with the rod 10 of the extension frame in alinement with the draw bar asshown in Fig. 1. The rear end of the extension frame carries a bracket12 pivotally sup orting a roller or wheel 13 adapted to trave upon theground. The link 14 extending rearwardly from the extreme rear end ofthe extension frame cooperates with the rear end of the bracket 11 toform a support for a cross bar 15. The connection between the link 14and cross bar is adjustable by means of a bolt 16 adapted to pass throuh one of the openings 17 of the cross bar. ivotally supported upon oneend of the cross bar 15 is a rearwardly extending lever arm 18, asimilar lever arm 19 being pivotally supported on the opposite end ofthe cross bar. The levers 18 and 19 centrally cross as shown in Fig. 1.The lever 18 at its rear end has pivotal connection 20 with one end ofthe cross bar 6 which cross bar has swivel connection to the front ofthe next binder frame. The rear end of the lever arm 19 has pivotalconnection 21 with the braces 22 and 23 which project forwardly from theend of the cross bar 6 oposite to the support for the lever 18. Thebraces 22 and 23 thus form a forward extension of one end of the crossbar 6.

In the use of my invention where the same is applied, for instance tobinders, a plurality of binders are connected together as illustrated inFig. 1, the entire series of binders being drawn as" by a tractor D.Between the tractor and the front binder coupling lever arms 18 and 19are employed without the use of the extension frame C.

The frame 0 and the levers 18 and 19 are in the line of direction of thepull in the train of vehicles hitched together and in fact serve as adraw bar between adjacent vehicles.

In use, with the tractor traveling in a straight line, the couplingmechanism will hold the succeeding vehicles in ofiset positions as shownby full lines in Fig. 4:. This is due to the fact that the straightahead pull will hold the lever arms 18 and 19 in the position shown inFig. 1. The amount of offset can be adjusted as by adjusting theconnection between the link 14: and the cross arm 15 and between thelever 19 and the cross bar 15, which will change the relative angles ofthe levers. As the tractor or any one of the"vehicles turns a corner therear end of the vehicle or the rear end of the extension frame of thebinder; will swing in a circle. This natural swinging will turn thefront end of the lever 19 forwardly with respect to the front end of thelever 18, causing the next succeeding binder to swing into the positionshown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 illustrates the position of two connectedbinders at the extreme corner of a turn.

In this position the binders are substantially at right angles with eachother. The forward binder will now travel in a straight line and as itmoves forward it will exert its pull upon the pivotal connection of thefront end of the lever 18, causing the levers 18 and 19 to relativelyswing to bring them into the position shown in Fig. 7 and thereafterinto the position shown in Fig. 1.

In the position shown in Fig. 7 the levers 18 and '19 have swung almostenough to bring the second binder into normal ofiset position behind thenext forward binder.

T have illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 by dotted lines and by short andlong dash lines the movements of the levers 18 and 19 as the binder isswinging around a corner. The full lines of Fig. 4: indicate a tractormoving in a straight line with a plurality of binders traveling behindthe same in offset positions. In Fig. 5 the full lines show thepositions of the binders and engine right after the binder has turned acorner and the two succeeding binders are turning. The long dash linesof Fig. 4 illustrate the position of the lever connections and bindersmesses when the tractor is turning the corner and the short dash linesindicate the position of the tractor and binders just as the tractor iscompleting a turn around the corner. In Fig. 8 I illustrate What wouldhappen if the binders were connected together by lever arms 18 and 19without theuse of the extension frame 0. As shown in Fig. 8 the bindersin this case would come together and not permit the second binder tomake the proper swing. In order to bring' about the proper results it isnecessary "that the point of swinging should be about midway between thewheels and at a distance back from the binder frame equal to about onehalf the distance between the wheels. This permits each succeedingbinder to go up to the corner and then to swing slightly out asindicated best by dotted lines on Fig. 4 and then to turn the swing backto strike the next succeeding side of the grain at the proper angle tofully cut the corner. It has been heretofore, by the ordinarily employedadjustable connections between binders, impossible to properly cut thecorners except by an operator upon each binder controlling the couplingmechanism to guide the binder around the corner. By means of themechanism herein described I am enabled to utilize acoupling mechanismbetween the binders which is automatic and in which each succeedingbinder is caused to turn around the corner and cut it square without theneed of any operator outside of the operator for the drawing means, asthe tractor.

I claim:

1. The combination with a plurality of vehicles and a coupling betweensaid vehicles consisting of an extension projecting rearwardly from onevehicle and having two spaced pivots operative in a horizontal plane, acoupling connection journaled at one end in said pivots and locatedbetween the rear end. of said extension and the next rear vehicle andpivotally connected at its other end with the latter holding saidvehicles normally in relatively ofiset positions and causing thesucceeding vehicle to be swung opposite to the front vehicle in theturning of a corner.

2. In combination with a plurality of vehicles, means connecting saidvehicles and regulating the travel of one from the other, consisting ofa frame pivotally supported by an extension projecting rearwardly fromone vehicle, a pair of lever arms pivotally connected at their frontends to the rear of said extension, said lever arms intermediatelycrossing each other and having pivotal connection at their rear ends toone side of the next succeeding vehicle.

3. In combination a plurality of vehicles, means for connecting saidvehicles together in relatively ofi'set positions and controllingvehicle, consisting of an extension pivotally tions between the rear endof said lever arms supported by and projecting rearwardly and saidsecond cross bar. 10 from one vehicle, a cross bar supported by Intestimony whereof I affix my signature the rear end of said extension,lever arms in presence of tWo witnesses.

pivotally connected to the ends of said cross PAUL HANSMANN.

bar and extending rearwardly in crossed Witnesses: relation, a cross barsupported by one side H. S. JOHNSON, of the next rear vehicle andpivotal connec- H. M. MANGAN.

